Office desk



June 29, 1943. B. c; WILSON OFFICE DESK Filed May 17, 1941.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 .272 0] leg.

June 29, 1943. B. c. WILSON 2,323,107

OFFICE DESK Filed May 17, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 veey Patented June 29, 1943 UNiTED STATES PATENT OFFICE OFFICE DESK Bertha C. Wilson, Evansville, Ind.

Application May 17, 1941, Serial No. 393,905

1 Claim.

This invention relates to office desks and particularly to ofiice desks provided with disappearing receptacles for holding oflice forms such as may be used by stenographers, clerks and executives.

The main object of the invention is to provide an oifice desk with a disappearing receptacle of the character described, which can be moved easily and quickly from a concealed position beneath the top or table of the desk to a conveniently accessible position on the desk.

Another object is to provide means for housing the receptacle beneath the desk top without interfering with the comfort of a person seated at the desk, and without impairing the appearance or normal efficiency of the desk.

The disappearing receptacle of my invention occupies the rear center portion of the desk table and employs space otherwise unused, thereby increasing the capacity of the desk in which it is embodied. When the receptacle is in raised, accessible position, ample room is left in front of it for all ordinary purposes. The receptacle can be reached with ease by a person seated in front of the desk, as well as by a stenographer using a typewriter supported by the conventional shelf provided at one side of the desk. When not in use, the receptacle may be moved downwardly out of sight, insuring safety and privacy of its contents.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a desk embodying my invention, showing the receptacle in raised position on the desk, the dotted lines showing the position of the receptacle when concealed.

Fig, 2 is a plan view of the desk as it appears when the receptacle is concealed.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation, partly in section, the section being taken in the plane of the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but showing the receptacle in its lowered position.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the receptacle removed from the desk.

In that embodiment of the invention shown n the drawings, Ill indicates the desk as a whole, II the side drawer sections and I2 the legs. The upper rearward part of the space I3 between the drawer sections I2 accommodates the housing for the disappearing receptacle. The desk table II is cut away in its rearward center portion and provided with a lid I5 which has a countersunk ring pull I6. The receptacle housing comprises a front wall I'I, bottom wall I8,

rear wall I9 and end or side walls 20, 20, provided with vertically disposed guide grooves 2 I.

The receptacle which is adapted to be housed in the aforementioned housing has rails 22 on its end walls 23 for sliding engagement with the grooves 2| of the housing walls 20. Said receptacle has a bottom wall 26, rear wall 25 and spacers 26, 26, one or more of which may be slotted as indicated at 21.

A pair of balancing devices 28, preferably of the conventional spring controlled, flexible tape type, are mounted under the table I4 at one side of each housing wall 29. One end of the tape 29 is connected at 30 to the bottom of the receptacle by a bracket 3|.

The lid I5 is provided at each side near the rear edge with a pin 32 for pivotally mounting the lid in the table I4, the pivot pins 32 being slidabl in grooves 33 in the walls 26. A stop 34 limits the movement of the lid I5.

The operation of the construction is as follows: To raise the receptacle from the concealed position in which it is shown in Fig. 4 and in dotted lines in Fi 1, the user grasps the pull I6, lifts the lid I5, swinging it about the pivots 32 until the lid is vertically disposed, and then forces the lid downwardly until it occupies the position shown in Fig. 3. Then the use: raises the receptacle by grasping one of the slotted spacers 26, causing the rails 22 to slide upwardly in the grooves 2| of the housing walls 20 to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The balancers 28 aid in the raising of the receptacle.

To lower and conceal the receptacle, the user pushes downwardly on the receptacle, forcing it into its housing until the lower ends of the rails 22 contact the bottom wall I3 as shown in Fig. 4, and then moves the lid I5 vertically upwardly until the pins 32 are at the top of the grooves 33, whereupon the lid can be moved pivotally to closed position flush with the table I4.

The receptacle may bevaried in size and shape and may be designed to hold a great variety of forms and papers.

Changes may be made in details of construction with-out departing from the scope of my invention.

I claim:

A desk provided with a disappearing receptacle, comprising a table having a rectangular opening therein, a receptacle housing communicating with said opening and comprising side and end walls depending from the margins of said opening and a bottom horizontal wall, a pair of parallel vertical guide grooves disposed on each end wall and extending to said bottom wall, a receptacle having a horizontal bottom wall and vertical end walls, a pair of guide rails disposed on each of said last end walls in'sliding engagement with said guide grooves, with said rails extending below said last bottom Wall 'for engagement with said first bottom wall to limit downward movement of said receptacle in said housing, a balancing device supported by said table adjacent each end wall of said housing and operatively connected with said receptacle for 

